Internet marketing

3 secrets to make your “Thank You” Page effective

Is your “Thank You” Page effective?

So your made a sale, Now what? What does your thank you page say to the customer who has just visited your website, believed your hype about the great product that they paid hard earned money for and are now keen to use / read.
Did you send them to a simple and unbranded default thank you page that doesn’t complete the entire customer experience, doesn’t make them feel happy with their purchase? Confirms for them that they made the right choice.
Many online retailers and marketers make a big mistake of not leveraging this simple tool. Here’s a few simple things you can do you keep that customer happy and telling his/ her friends about.

1. Reassurance

After your customer has made a purchase or signed up for additional information, they are sent to a Thank You Page. (Right?) On your thank you page you are going to reassure your visitor that you did received their order, payment, information or request and that the product, download link or shipment is on its way. Explain what happens next. This could be information about shipping including links to track delivery or how to download the purchased item.

2. Re-establish

Re-establish contact. You know that they are a buyer offer them an additional item that will be of use / benefit to them while they are in a buying mood. You can entice them back to your website at a later date with a coupon for a future offer or discount. Now is the time to also inform your customer of upcoming specials, events or contests you might be having and to provide them with a link so they can participate.

3. Build up
Your thank you page is a great place to build up your brand. Depending on what your brand promise or message is. Your thank you page can be used for marketing messages, education and commitment to your customers. For example, if you sell blue rabbits, you can include a “how to guide” to educate your customer on how to use blue rabbit. (Personally I hate it when I purchase a product on line then have no idea how to use it. You expect it to come with a “How to” guide or help link.) Another example is to provide your customer with a free gift. Similar to the “Free gift with purchase” concept at a retail store, you can immediately increase the perception of value by offering a free gift on your thank you page.

Too many companies put up a really great website, supply it with strong content and build in incentives for people to sign up, yet they use a very poor thank you page. Your thank you page is just one of many ways your business can leave a powerful impression on your customers and it’s a great opportunity to stand apart from your competition. So make it really special and make sure it supports your brand and leaves a powerful impression on your customers.

Traffic Travis

Traffic Travis

This great site has a number of neat features. One of the features that I love to use, is an on-page SEO analysis of your webpages.

It’s almost like having an SEO expert look at your webpage and tell you what you’re doing right, and what you’re doing wrong. And then give you solutions for improving your on-page SEO. Traffic Travis does all that and its free.

And no, they didn’t forget the off-page stuff, that’s all in the software too. Along with PPC competition analysis (find out what keywords your competition is bidding on in Adwords) and a lot more!

• On-page SEO analysis – This is great, it’s like having your own personal SEO expert taking a look at your webpages and giving you hints for improving your search engine rankings.
• Competition analysis – find out exactly what keywords your competitors are bidding on
• Keyword research – find thousands of related keywords
• Backlink checker – find out what sites are linking to you (and your competition), what their page rank is, and other essential details.

Are You FTC Compliant?

On December 1st 2009 the FTC (Federal Trade Commission) closed down the wild west of Internet Marketing but help is at hand for newbies and experienced marketers a like, Denise Gosnell and Jynell Berkshire, attorneys and co-founders of Innoventum, Inc have come up with some sound advice that will not cost you the earth. Denise one of the US of A’s top cutting-edge attorneys when it comes to the legalities of Internet marketing, FTC regulations, product patents and looking after your business. As a business owner you need to be concentrating on the profitability and growth of your business.  The protection of your intellectual and physical assets are part of the  growth and profitability of your business.

Now Denise and Jynell have come up with 10 strategies that you need to cover, They are:

• STRATEGY 1: Use The Proper Written Agreements with Contractors and Employees
• STRATEGY 2: Trademark Law Pitfalls And Tips
• STRATEGY 3: Form a Company With Limited Liability Protection
• STRATEGY 4: Use Non?Disclosure Agreements To Protect Your Intellectual Property
• STRATEGY 5: Include a Privacy Policy and Terms of Use On Your Web Site(s)
• STRATEGY 6: FTC Proximity Rule and Clear and Conspicuous Rule
• STRATEGY 7: Robo?Call Rule (September 1, 2009)
• STRATEGY 8: Average Results/Testimonials Rule (December 1, 2009)
• STRATEGY 9: CAN?SPAM Act
• STRATEGY 10: Follow Proper Accounting Principles To Keep Your Business In Good Standing

Note that they are not all about FTC compliance but also but best practices that can be over looked by even the most successful business.

The Real Value of the Information that Denise and Jynell provide is the 10 agreements with explanations on when to use them. Clients can pay thousands for this. While the product may be short and sweet, don’t underestimate the value.  They don’t like to drag things out just to make them seem more impressive.  Time is money.

Here are the agreements that are included with the course:

• Professional Services Agreement (to use with Contractors)
• Intellectual Property Ownership Agreement (with Contractors)
  
• Employment Agreement (to use with Employees)
• Intellectual Property Ownership Agreement (with Employees)
  
• Interview Release Agreement
• Non-Compete Agreement
• Non-Disclosure Agreement
• Mutual Non-Disclosure Agreement
• Intellectual Property Transfer Agreement
  
• Sample Web Site Privacy Policy With No Data Sharing/Selling Rights
• Sample Web Site Privacy Policy With Data Sharing/Selling Rights
• Sample Web Site Terms of Use

Watch the Video Here

PS If you buy the product I get paid.

Avoid The FTC’s Fine

CliffsNotes For Bloggers To Avoid The FTC’s $11,000 Fine For Endorsements

by Chip Cooper
Posted on October 26, 2009

If you’ve already read – and clearly understand – the 81-page Guides for the use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising issued by the FTC on October 5, 2009, then read no further.However, if you’re a blogger or other producer of consumer-generated online content, and you’re not quite sure about how to decipher the legaleze or how to comply with the Guides, then this article may be for you… particularly if you’re more than a little concerned about avoiding the $11,000 fine for non-compliance.

What’s This All About, Anyway?

I’ve read bloggers’ comments to the effect of “why is the Federal Trade Commission sticking its dad-gum nose into the blogosphere — how far will this go?” That’s one way to look at it – as an unnecessary intrusion by the government.

Another way to look at is that the Guides represent an “official” recognition that blogging has passed its adolescent stage. Blogging has grown up, and the FTC is the so-called new sheriff in town.

Now, any producer of consumer-generated online content – bloggers, podcasters and video producers – is being treated to the same truth in advertising rules that other businesses in the brick and mortar world have been living with for a long time.

When Do Bloggers Become Endorsers?

This is the key threshold question. If a blogger is not an endorser, then the Guides do not apply. However, if the blogger is an endorser, then the Guides apply and with them, potential liability.

If you want to actually read the Guides to find the answer, go to new Example 8 (pp. 50-51). Example 8 provides 3 scenarios where a consumer reviews a product or service on a blog:

* no endorsement – a consumer purchases a product with his/her own money, and posts a review or opinion on a blog (result: Guides do not apply do not apply because there is no relationship at all with the advertiser; no worries);

* no endorsement – same scenario, except that a coupon for a free trial of the product is generated by the store’s computer, based on his/her purchases (result: Guides do not apply because there is no relationship with the advertiser indicating “sponsorship”; no worries); and

* endorsement – the consumer is part of a network marketing program where he/she periodically reviews products and receives a free product for which he/she writes reviews (result: Guides apply because there is a relationship with the advertiser based on the stream of free products indicating “sponsorship”; there are legitimate worries about how to comply with the Guides).

Suggestions For Bloggers Who Act as Endorsers

If you’re a blogger who acts as an endorser, then you should take care to understand and comply with the Guides to avoid a $11,000 fine by the FTC.

In simple terms, the basic rules are these:

* disclose “material connections” you receive for promoting someone else’s product or service, and

* disclose typical results that should reasonably be expected from a product or service (“results not typical” disclaimers won’t work anymore).

The real trick is understanding how to comply with these basic rules. The following is a list of examples and suggestions to assist you:

* if you purchase a product and pay for it with your own money, then blog about it, you’re not regulated by the Guides – no worries;

* if you are paid for product review, you should disclose who paid you that you were paid for the review (you’re clearly regulated by the Guides);

* if you regularly get free products and blog about them (e.g. a book reviewer), you should disclose who sent you the product and that it was free (you’re clearly regulated by the Guides);

* however, if you don’t routinely blog about products, or you don’t routinely receive free products, but you receive a free product that’s not very valuable and you blog about it, you’re probably not regulated by the Guides;

* even if you write a negative review of a product or service you’re not off the hook — if you’re required by the Guides to make disclosures, the disclosure rules still apply, even to negative reviews;

* if you’re an endorser, you should be a bona fide user of the product or service at the time the endorsement is given – fake endorsements are deceptive, and won’t comply with the Guides;

* disclosures should not be after-the-fact; they should be made at the time of the endorsement and live with it;

* disclosures should be clear and conspicuous – it’s not required that the disclosure be in ALL CAPS, but all caps disclosures would go a long way toward satisfying the clear and conspicuous requirement; * example disclosure: FTC GUIDES NOTICE: I RECEIVED THIS PRODUCT FROM XYZ, INC. FREE OF CHARGE, or FTC GUIDES NOTICE: THIS PRODUCT WAS PROVIDED FREE OF CHARGE BY XYZ COMPANY; and

* if you regularly get free products and blog about them (e.g. a book reviewer), you might consider adding a clause to your website’s Terms of Use regarding this business practice.

Conclusion

Prior to the issuance of the Guides by the FTC – which go into effect on December 1, 2009 – the blogosphere was sort of like the wild, wild west. Few if any rules, anything goes… and that sadly included fake endorsements and material relationships that weren’t disclosed.

The Guides were intended  to address some of these abuses. Despite the good    intentions motivating the Guides, there are legitimate concerns that the Guides may have gone too far. Critics argue that they are overbroad, and that they may create as many problems as they solve. Legal scholars debate whether they are contrary to established legal precedent.

Despite the misgivings of some and debate among legal scholars, the new FTC Guides are here to stay. They represent not only a win for consumers, but also a wake-up call to bloggers. The blogosphere has now come of age, and this requires a much greater sense of responsibility in a highly regulated environment.
Leading Internet, IP and software lawyer Chip Cooper has automated the process of drafting website documents for small websites with his MyLegalFirewall website documents drafting service. Discover how quick, easy, and cost-effective it is to determine which legal documents you need, draft them online, and claim your FREE Special Report, Determine Which Legal Documents Your Website Really Needs, at ==> http://digicontracts.com/kits/firewall.aspx
Copyright © 2009 Chip Cooper

Common Thread of Internet Guru’s

A while ago Gary Ambrose & Keith Wellman had a webinar about the “Common Thread” of Success with people in the Internet Marketing game. I made the first one they had but could not hear a word of it due to some issue they had. Now I got to thinking about what the common thread was. They had a massive list of what is wasn’t. Of all the big names I have come across, a lot had some thing in common.

A few example, Michael Cheney lived in a one room dive and had a job he hated. Kimball Roundgoods lost his brother in a fishing trip, Amit Mehta nearly died twice, Tellman Knudson, Mike Dillard  both Broke and in dead end jobs. Dan Kuschell Just not making it. There are many more I could list but All these people have a common thread as I see it. No it so not they all have made money out of me.

They all have a want, a desire, a need. An own self belief. Its all about the attitude.

I’m a engineer in the high rise building maintenance field. I went off and did construction for a few years with in the same company as I needed a change. The boss offered me a big pay rise and the vehicle of my choice if I went back to my old trade. So as the good guy I am I go where I was needed. Long story short. One summer I’m off camping with the scouts. ( I’m also a Scout Leader. I go where I’m needed) At the end of the 10 day camp I had to go back to work.

I found that I could not face going back to the some old grind. Now the year before I drove in Demolition derby’s for a bit of fun. This is my near death moment that started the ball rolling.

The car I was driving had lost 1st gear so I was racing around the track backwards, The track has a small ramp that you must hit every time you do a lap of the track. So I hit the ramp in reverse and when I landed on the other side the car spins side on to the ramp. I’m now parked across end of the ramp with cars coming at me. Most just ran one wheel over the corner of the ramp and go around me. First gear does not work to get out of this mess, reverse is no good as a car is wreaked behind me and up against the track wall. So I stuck there watching the cars coming at me when one comes straight at the ramp and me as fast as he can. Now I’m still strapped into my seat and can not move so I just have to sit there a watch this car coming at me. It hits the ramp at speed and becomes air borne. His right front wheel lands on my bonnet as he drives over it. I had a great view of his wheels and the underside of this car. At the time I thought it was cool this car driving on my bonnet. The next car hits the ramp all wrong, glances off it, spins out 180 degrees and come driving back at me at full speed. Now the rule is do not hit the drivers door. So where did she hit me. In the drivers door. The door pillar had a small fitting still on it from the old seat belt. She hit me so hard that this went into my shoulder, Again It didn’t worry me. At this point the race was stopped as the woman that had hit me hard in the door, had signaled that she was hunt.  It took a while to get her out of the wreak, so I used this time to get myself out of my car. That’s when I saw that the tyre tracks across my bonnet had missed driving into my head by a only a foot.  It had been too close. That was my last race. It was few weeks later on holiday when the hit in the shoulder caught up with me. As I was swimming the damaged area gave way and stopped working.

Too close

Jump forward to the next summer. I had a bright idea, search the Internet for a way to make money so that way I did not have to work.  The first page of results had an ad that got my attention and my click. The landing page said all the right things to me, so within hours I had paid over $3000 to start my new career. I had one week of leave left to make it big. Not even. I now have access to a great product forever that I will use but I’m still in the same old job.

But what I have learned since then has been awesome. There is no get rich quick system, a lot of get broke fast if you use PPC the wrong way as I was taught. There are a lot of great systems out there and a lot of crap. I’ve brought and tried a lot of them. With this blog I have combined the best of the Internet marketing tools that  I now use to drive traffic, sign up leads and make money. I’m no millionaie (yet) but I’m now on the right track.

PS If you follow any link on this website and buy the product I get paid.